Parking laws 'unfair on motorists'

New parking laws are due to come into force at the end of March, and consumer group Which? says they could make it more difficult to appeal an unfair ticket.

The new laws are designed to introduce a fairer system of charges, with lower fines for motorists who exceed their time limit in allocated parking spaces, and higher ones for those who park where parking is always forbidden. Clamping will also be discouraged.

However, it's the way in which offenders can now be caught which could leave the driver disadvantaged. Councils will be able to issue a parking ticket by post if they catch a motorist parking illegally on CCTV.

This could make it harder for motorists to gather evidence if they want to appeal against the ticket if they feel it has been unfairly issued.

The advice is to act quickly, put your appeal in writing, and gather as much evidence as you can for the best chance of success.